Noosa Waters' fee to cut grass

THE grass may be greener in Noosa Waters, but it costs extra to keep it maintained.

A proposed Benefit Area Levy could see residents of the estate slugged $75 a year by council to mow the grass in parks and reserves up to 24 times a year.

The service was recently cut back to a maximum of 12 times a year after a council review of the service levels assigned to parks and reserves across the Coast found the 24 mowings and edge trimmings were too many and not in line with other parks and reserves across the region.

But the cutback has left Noosa Waters looking a little worse for wear, according to Noosa Waters Residents Association president Gary Trevithick.

To bring back the pride they have in their parks, the association has reluctantly requested council to impose a levy within the estate to fund up to 13 additional mows and 20 edgings for parks, gardens and roundabouts.

Mr Trevithick said most association members had reluctantly agreed to support the levy.

“It’s the lesser of two evils,” he said.

“We’re just trying to restore our parks to what they’ve been like for the last 13 years.

“We’re far from happy to do it, but we have to if we want to maintain what we’ve got.

“It should come out of our rates like it used to.

“Our rates have gone up, but the services have gone down.”

Gold Coast woman Sue Balkin owns an investment property at Noosa Waters and believes council should reintroduce 24 mows a year without slugging residents.

“This is a sign that the council amalgamation is just not working,” she said.

“This is an exorbitant charge which should not be borne by Noosa Waters’ residents.”

The BAL is proposed to take

effect from July 1 and would also

include picking up grass cuttings after mowing, hedging and dog waste bag refills.